I just returned from the Kimmell Center, which houses Philly's largest pipe organ. They did a cinema screening of the classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with a organ accompaniment. It was glorious. There were close to 600 people in the audience. Fantastic format to see a film I have viewed countless times.

Went to Wal-Mart today to get a printer cartridge. Had to go through the electronics section, naturally. Now, I was a big fan of Blockbuster, not really for the rentals, but for the cheap "previously viewed" DVD (when the bottom fell out on the video rental business and they had going out of business sales, I went crazy and walked out with armfuls of stuff). But with that gone, Wal-Mart is basically the last bastion of cheap discs (not previously viewed either, just low priced). So, even though I didn't intend to get any movies, something clicks in my brain when I see cheap discs. Ended up getting blu-rays of Fistful of Dollars (haven't seen that one, have seen Good, Bad & Ugly), Wolf of Wall-Street, Birdman & DVD of Kick-Ass 2 (have the first movie, have all the comics, even if part 2 is a little meh, just wanted to complete the set).

I miss cheap DVD sales but Wal-Mart seems to pick up the slack. And gas station movie bins for 2 for 10 bucks is always a bit of a goldmine.

Went to Wal-Mart today to get a printer cartridge. Had to go through the electronics section, naturally. Now, I was a big fan of Blockbuster, not really for the rentals, but for the cheap "previously viewed" DVD (when the bottom fell out on the video rental business and they had going out of business sales, I went crazy and walked out with armfuls of stuff). But with that gone, Wal-Mart is basically the last bastion of cheap discs (not previously viewed either, just low priced). So, even though I didn't intend to get any movies, something clicks in my brain when I see cheap discs. Ended up getting blu-rays of Fistful of Dollars (haven't seen that one, have seen Good, Bad & Ugly), Wolf of Wall-Street, Birdman & DVD of Kick-Ass 2 (have the first movie, have all the comics, even if part 2 is a little meh, just wanted to complete the set).

I miss cheap DVD sales but Wal-Mart seems to pick up the slack. And gas station movie bins for 2 for 10 bucks is always a bit of a goldmine.

Sweet. Off the top of my head (and a few drinks in tonite) isn't the Man with No Name trilogy go Fistful of Dollars, Few Dollars More, Good the Bad and the Ugly? Probably do all three. Been so damn long since I saw Good the Bad & the Ugly it'll practically be new anyway.

You should just watch every Sergio Leone movie, honestly, the man was a brilliant film maker and with the exception of Il Colosso di Rodi they've all aged very well. He's one of those sufficiently distinctive directors that you will definitely clue in to the stylistic evolution that's taking place, and it's fascinating to behold.

Leone was a master and without him there would no Dario Argento, Sergio Corbucci or Enzo Castellari or Clint (though Clint was also a student of Don Siegel too.)

Have to say the one element of OUAITW that I still love was how Henry Fonda's character was connected to Bronson's. The reveal is VERY Argento (pretty awesome since he cowrote the script.) Fonda's big bad was one of the best villains from any of those Italian westerns. And it's my second favorite role of his after Fail Safe.

Went to Wal-Mart today to get a printer cartridge. Had to go through the electronics section, naturally. Now, I was a big fan of Blockbuster, not really for the rentals, but for the cheap "previously viewed" DVD (when the bottom fell out on the video rental business and they had going out of business sales, I went crazy and walked out with armfuls of stuff). But with that gone, Wal-Mart is basically the last bastion of cheap discs (not previously viewed either, just low priced). So, even though I didn't intend to get any movies, something clicks in my brain when I see cheap discs. Ended up getting blu-rays of Fistful of Dollars (haven't seen that one, have seen Good, Bad & Ugly), Wolf of Wall-Street, Birdman & DVD of Kick-Ass 2 (have the first movie, have all the comics, even if part 2 is a little meh, just wanted to complete the set).

I miss cheap DVD sales but Wal-Mart seems to pick up the slack. And gas station movie bins for 2 for 10 bucks is always a bit of a goldmine.

A Fistful of Dollars is a great movie in its own right, however I think there are more levels to Mifune's hero than Eastwood's. Eastwood plays a rather one-note (even if it's a great note!) cynical character who has a spark of decency left, while Mifune's Sanjuro is far more playful, pretending to be mercenary while actually I think his driving motivation is dispensing justice. At the end of Yojimbo I think Sanjuro would do it all again, because that's what he does, while Eastwood's protagonist... I'm not so sure.

I agree with your take on the characters; Mifune's Sanjuro seems to be having more fun than Eastwood's character. And you definitely feel that he has a sort of satisfaction of a job well done at the end. I'm not sure Eastwood's character really cares, when it's all over.

I think Once Upon a Time in the West is a real masterpiece; and it might just be Morricone's best . . . wait, I started typing that and then remembered The Mission. It might just be Morricone's second best score. Some of it just luminously beautiful. Fonda's really great; very atypical, but perfect. And it's Bronson's high-water mark as an actor.

Once Upon a Time in the West is surely the greatest Western ever made. I checked to see if God Himself directed the movie, and found the handle "Sergio Leone" instead. (Years later, I conceded that Leone was God.)

It's kinda like 2001: A Space Odyssey or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, where everyone gets the sense that that this is as magisterial as the respective genre will ever get...so don't even try to beat it.

A Fistful of Dollars is a great movie in its own right, however I think there are more levels to Mifune's hero than Eastwood's. Eastwood plays a rather one-note (even if it's a great note!) cynical character who has a spark of decency left, while Mifune's Sanjuro is far more playful, pretending to be mercenary while actually I think his driving motivation is dispensing justice. At the end of Yojimbo I think Sanjuro would do it all again, because that's what he does, while Eastwood's protagonist... I'm not so sure.

Leone has a better eye for visuals though, imo.

Both films have great scores.

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Character-wise, I do prefer Mifune's Sanjuro, you nailed it as to why.

Saw "Wings" last night at Union County Performing Arts Ctr. in Rahway, NJ. I'd seen it there a few years ago. Both times it had live organ accompaniment on the theater's restored, old-style Wurlitzer.

The movie really impressed me. The cinematography was great, and people might be surprised with what could be gotten away with back in the pre-Code days. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was so enthralled that I was still thinking, "Jack, don't!" near the end. And the scenes following that moment were really touching. Plus, you have to admit, Clara Bow is just adorable in the movie, as was Jobyna Ralston. Lastly, I have to credit Bernie Anderson from the Garden State Theater Organ Society; he did an excellent job, as he always does.

Definitely worthy of what was basically the first Best Picture Oscar. Now I'm looking forward to October 30th, when they'll show "Nosferatu".

I watched One Hour Photo yesterday. God, Williams was so perfectly creepy in that. It's a brutally sad movie too in more ways than one.

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I just thought about that movie the other day out of the absolute blue. I'm trying to remember . . . oh, it was Gary Cole. I was watching Veep, which he's on, and something he did reminded me of his role in One Hour Photo. Yeah, that's such a great movie, one of Williams' best performances and a great supporting cast. Cole really steals every scene he's in and Michael Vartan is also really good. And filled with such arresting imagery. That "red eye" dream is one of the most shocking things I've ever seen in a movie; it just comes out of nowhere.

My favorite western is one not made in the West, Life Gamble. I think it's one of Chiang Cheh's masterpieces and one of the rare few not politically inclined (which makes even more special to me.) Definitely nails the moral ambiguity of the spaghetti westerns and Unforgiven (with the real lead of the film not the top billed star.) It's just so much fun watching almost everyone's greed consume them. The more I watch this movie, the more impressed I am with how much characterization you get in a few lines, moments, actions. Although, the real lead thankfully has a lot more characterization than that. I'd love a Criterion Collection version of this, but I'm glad I got the American dvd before it went OOP.